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ur glasses are empty 2017, by her own admission, had been a
now and Fiona’s face is tough year. Her 23-year-old cousin, who was
slightly flushed. “See a big reason for her returning to Singapore
I’m a total lightweight, in 2016, had succumbed to cancer. The
but people like to…” sadness of his passing is still very raw —
she stops herself her eyes well up as soon as she mentions
Obefore she finishes him. “It really changes you as a person and
the sentence. She’s done with that part of the you start to prioritise things,” she says. “All
conversation. these fleeting things don’t mean a thing when
She’s always been good at protecting herself you have that breath to take. It changes the
so we venture a question about the #MeToo family dynamics. [Everything] becomes very
movement. Like everyone with a pulse, she’s a heavy. But at the same time, it became a glue
fan of Oprah Winfrey’s zeitgeist-changing Golden and everyone had more dinners together.”
Globes speech (look it up, if you haven’t already) Fiona, who’ll also make her Ch 8 drama
and she has nothing but respect for the women comeback later this year in Gifted opposite
who came forward to speak out about the Elvin Ng and Zhang Yaodong as well as
truly awful sexual misconduct that goes on in former Ch 8 stars like Chen Xiuhuan and
showbiz. Michelle Chia, now spends most of her time
“I must say that when I first heard about it, I with her family, doing mundane things like
was like, ‘Oh, Singapore has nothing like that.” going on staycations with her cousins and
And there were people who told me, ‘No, do you watching TV with her brother and mother.
know…” I never knew any of that,” she says. “We don’t share the same taste in TV shows
“I’ve been very lucky and blessed to not have but it’s bonding time for us,” she smiles.
encountered any of those things in my very, very “My brother likes food shows and the
long career. I mean, to have done such strange, Kardashians (laughs) and my mum, Korean
crazy things, like running down Orchard Road in a dramas, which is interesting ’cos I would
bikini... The directors were always very respectful never sit down and watch those if I were on
and they didn’t exploit us in any way.” my own.”
We ask her why she has remained relatively By the time you read this, Fiona would
unscathed and she offers this as a possible have celebrated her 36 birthday (“But I’m
reason: “I think it was ’cos I started getting fame only 25!” she jokes). We ask if her being
and acclaim very early on in my career,” she close to her family is an age thing ’cos that’s
says. “So if anyone were to like… They had no what growing up does to a person. “I think
leverage on me. I was not an upcoming someone it’s more of an individual thing,” she says.
you had to give chance to. It was always the “For me, I was away for so many years and
sense that people knew that I was not someone even though I did respond [to my family’s
to play with. And that if you played with me, it messages] via text it’s very different from
would be big news. So in that sense, I was quite being a physical presence. So in that aspect,
protected.” I really respect my brother. He was the one
Speaking of which, Fiona was in the news holding the fort when I was away. He was the
last year (actually, has she ever been out of the responsible one. I would be in Hongkong and
news?) when it was revealed that she was dating would say, “Hey, come up for the weekend!”
a man, 14 years her junior, named Julien Leo. And he would be like, “No, I want to stay. I
The singer-musician-model, who happens to be don’t want to leave mum alone.” He’s 27
the son of former fashion retailer Tina Tan-Leo, but in some ways, he’s like my older brother
had posted a photo of Fiona on his ’gram with (laughs). So, yeah. I’ve been trying to heal
the caption: “Happy Birthday Baby!” Of course, my soul for many years, but now it’s all about
media outlets went to town with the news. When giving back to them.”
we ask if she’s still in a relationship, she hems She pauses.“This is the longest I’ve
and haws for an eternity before finally saying: “I stayed in one place. I used to go all over. But
guess I am just at a time where I have the luxury now I’m present.”
of doing things I love and also getting to know She’s sitting still as she says this. Sitting
more people.” You’re welcome to interpret that in still is one thing, but being present? That’s
whichever way you want. everything.
SPECIAL